✔️Before the New Year Bell Rings

2| Fly to My Room

James's  POV

All around me, I saw couples and families walking together to shops, preparing for the holidays. Almost every store is packed, and the laughter of friends and families can be heard in the air, along with the sweet smell of street food.

"Lara would love it here," I thought, imagining Lara in the city, looking at everything with excitement and curiosity. She would love the joy in the air before the holiday season.

I wound up going to the park, where I saw some elderly couples and young people walking, jogging, or playing. The wind was soft and gentle as the sun began to sit. I held up the camera that was wrapped around my neck and took a picture of the sun shining on the field and trees, where the people were having fun and in their natural state.

*CLICK*

I looked at the picture that I took and nodded in satisfaction. As a professional photographer, it is my job to showcase the beauty of the mysterious world to the public. I only took pure photos of nature to tell stories that are worth a million words.

I decided to sit down on a bench in the park to rest for a bit before continuing to walk around. A leaf fell on my head and I looked up, seeing a beautiful tree with red and brown leaves, still hanging onto the tree branches. I smiled and held my camera up again, to take a picture. Since I was sitting down, I decided to take out my phone from my pocket and check the time. It is four in the afternoon. Lara should still be working now. My hours are a few hours ahead of hers, so she should still be at school. It is the holidays, and the schools are closed, but Lara may be going to school to bring her work back home. Since my phone is out, I decided to open my photo album, which has most of the pictures that I took. It is a phone for my photos alone.

I clicked on one of the folders and began to go through them. It is a file only with pictures of us, going back to when we first started dating. It is still magical how I was able to find her. She is always so passionate and imaginative. My friends sometimes wonder how I got my hands on such a cute girlfriend. I guess I will have to thank my sister for that.

Speaking about the devil, she is calling me. She must have seen that my status is online if she is calling me now.

"Big brother! What in the world is going on in your mind! Do you think that your mind is not functioning enough to figure out what day it is tomorrow?! Where is the brain that our mother gave you?" Jessica screamed in my ears as soon as I accepted the call on my personal phone.

I hurriedly pull my phone away from my ears. Even two feet away, I can still hear her. She must be furious. I put the phone on my ear after I was sure she was not screaming. I took a deep breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. "Hey, little sister. I am doing fine. Thank you for asking. I hope you are doing great, too. Still studying hard and helping the family, right? I know that tomorrow is Christmas Eve. What's up?" I replied calmly.

That must not be the answer she wants. "Oh, so you do have a brain. Then tell me, where in the world are you now?" Jessica demanded loudly.

By now, I feel bad for my ears. I fear that by the end of this call, my ears would bleed. "Jess, I told you already that I am on a business trip. I will try to come back as soon as possible," I said.

"Ha. And you leave your girlfriend alone at home, especially during the holidays. She is looking forward to it," Jessica ranted.

"I know. I know. I cannot help it. My boss suddenly called me. You know how it is. I can't do anything. I will try to come back as soon as possible. I am almost done with work, and I think I can get to come home before New Years' if I can make it. Tell Lara that I am sorry for ruining our plans. I look forward to the vacation, too," I sighed.

"You better tell her yourself. I don't get it. How come such an irresponsible guy like you find a girlfriend as amazing and adorable as Lara? Did you save a country in your past life? Listen, Lara may forgive you, but I will not. Lara's brothers will not either. Oh... when you return home, you will be so dead. You better before New Years' or else I will never forgive you. Also, I am not your messenger. You tell that to Lara yourself," Jessica said rapidly. I can hear her deep and heavy breaths on the phone, which shows how much energy she is using to speak to me and her controlled anger that is about to burst. "I am busy right now. A few customers just entered. I will talk to you later. Remember to call Lara!"

"I will, Jess." I replied.

"Bye, hyung!" Jessica said.

"You should call me oppa, you know," I chuckled.

Jessica didn't bother to respond back before she hung up the phone. I looked at the screen for a while. Maybe I should call Lara.